e-NOTE: European Network on Teaching Excellence
What is “teaching excellence” in Higher Education? Which different teaching excellence training, promotion and reward schemes exist across Europe? How can a common European teaching scheme look like?
The e-NOTE projects answers to these questions are now available. The Department of Political Science has successfully cooperated with five other partners, three universities and two institutions across Europe. Leiden University led the project.
THE PROJECT IS CLOSED
Project period: 2020-2023
Project coordinator: Hanne Nexø Jensen
The European Network on Teaching Excellence’s (E-NOTE) three years project period has ended. As the project leader, professor Joachim Koops summarized ‘It was an immensely ambitious (and overloaded) project, carried by the excitement and enthusiasm of E-NOTE team and external partners. Impact throughout the project (dialogue with European Commission, national stakeholders, external partners). Genuine, extensive interest from participants and partners. Foundations for truly unique offering deeply rooted in extensive research, piloting and testing.’ (Quote from the final Advisory Board Meeting, October 4, 2023).
The E-NOTE project succeeded in reaching the overall aim, i.e. to collectively advance understanding and implementation of Teaching Excellence by bringing interested higher education teachers, administrators, higher education managers, students, Doctoral supervisors and Policymakers together in formal and informal ways. Furthermore, to map existing practices and discuss the need for a common standardized scheme of Teaching Excellence to support staff mobility across European universities.
In short, Teaching Excellence practices differs tremendously across Europe and there is no one size fits all solution to the development of Teaching Excellence. However, different practices can be of inspiration whatever starting point you or your institution have. You find documentation and (hopefully) inspiration in the output of the E-NOTE project. This includes:
Reports
Comprehensive Mapping Report on Defining, Measuring, Promoting and Rewarding “Teaching Excellence” across Europe, based on desk research, surveys and focus group exchanges (IO1).
Best Practice Guide outlines examples that facilitate and contribute to teaching excellence (IO3).
Inspiration for a Common Curriculum of Training for Teaching Excellence is a collection of 22 syllabi for training of BA and MA teachers as well as supervisors. In addition, there is 14 syllabi for PhD supervisors (IO2).
Report on Implementation of Common European Training (and reward) scheme – and the core barriers. Zooms in on national regulations, standards, and promotion and career developments related to Teaching Excellence. Highlights examples from the four university partners and includes an evaluation section of the E-NOTE Trainings (IO4).
The Self-Assessment Tool is on Teaching Excellence Practices for Academic Teachers, Managers and Doctoral Supervisors. It is an Online Self-Assessment Tool on Teaching Excellence. You can use the tool and compare your results to the average (IO5).
The Online Training Course on Teaching Excellence Foundations consists of six short (15-20 min) videos on core topics of the project (IO6). ‘Mapping teaching excellence: core concepts and definitions’, ‘Pillars for excellence: best practices on training, promoting and rewarding excellence’, ‘Fostering an academic culture that promotes excellence’, ’The role of national policies in supporting excellence in teaching and mentoring’, ’European approaches to teaching excellence in the context of the European Education Area’ and ‘Nurturing Excellence Mind-sets: blueprint, self-assessment tool and network’.
The Handbook is a dynamic online, wikistyle page with keywords and links to project results (IO7).
The E-NOTE project organised four Pilot Test Trainings divided between 2 Training Weeks on BA and MA Teaching Excellence and 2 Training Weeks on PhD Supervision Excellence each lasting 5 days covering diverse topics, including mental health and diversity. See the programmes at the Teaching Excellence Homepage (Trainings).
Dissemination Activities included among other things participation in conferences (UACES and ECER), Policy-Maker Event in Brussels, Roundtables with prorectors and other stakeholders in Coimbra, Briefing of the Czech Senate and a Final Conference, including message from European Parliament, presence from European Commission, University Associations and interested higher education representatives in Brussels.
Department of Political Science’s has contributed on par with the five other partners, i.e. have provided substantial input to all reports and the handbook. DPS were responsible for the report on standards, regulations, rewards and evaluation of training (IO4). DPS were also responsible for one of the Teacher Training Weeks (LTTA3) as well as contributing to the three other Teacher Training Weeks by organising one or two days, give presentations, participate in round tables and act as chairs. Furthermore, DPS conducted one of the webinars (IO6). In addition, DPS employees have participated in conferences, roundtables and in the presentation in the Czech Senate.
An interdisciplinary team of experts from four universities (Leiden, Copenhagen, Coimbra and Charles University in Prague), GGI, a European think tank in Belgium and the Coimbra Group, a network of 40 universities will work towards the creation of a European Network on Teaching Excellence (e-NOTE).
Next steps Global Governance Institute (GGI) continue to host the website, an E-NOTE secretariat, and further investments in sustainability of the network is discussed.
Funded by:
e-NOTE: European Network on Teaching Excellence was a research project funded by the European Union’s Erasmus + Programme (KA 203 Strategic Partnership).
Project: e-NOTE: European Network on Teaching Excellence
Period: 2020-2023
Contact
Hanne Nexø Jensen
Project coordinator
Nina Græger
Project coordinator and e-Note Steering Group Member